“I’m sorry,” she whispered.
“What?”
“You shouldn’t have come there. I didn’t know—”
His hand fisted in her hair. “I spent hours thinking you were dead. Hearing you were alive, I didn’t care that I had to go into Hell to fetch you.”
“You owe him a favor because of me.”
“I can handle it.”
“You don’t know what he’ll ask for.”
“Doesn’t matter.”
It did. Lucifer was twisted and maniacal. His favor could have deadly consequences and would no doubt twist Marcus’s scruples. More blame on her head.She’ll ruin your life.Gavin’s voice echoed in her head, and she flinched. Marcus should be proud of the man he was. He had survived Hell and come out the victor. She couldn’t say the same.
“I understand,” she murmured.
He pressed his lips against her temple. “I care, Carmen.”
She rested her forehead against his throat as another tear slipped down her cheek. Caring wasn’t enough.
* * *
A ringing phone woke her. Marcus rolled away and picked it up.
“Yes?” He rose from the bed and headed to the closet. “The police are there?”
A casino emergency. She heard the rustle of clothing. She kept her eyes closed and breathing even. Her body felt heavy and unresponsive.
“Carmen, wake up.”
She played dead. She didn’t want to face him. He cupped her face.
“Come on, baby, wake up.”
She allowed her eyes to open. It hurt to look at him. It hurt to smell him. Yes, she was a sucker for a good guy who fucked like a bad boy, had a chip on his shoulder, and would never love her back as much as she loved him.
“My head of security’s dead. Witnesses say the assailants left on motorcycles.”
The Black Vipers were making hits on Pyre Casino employees? More death and drama that could be traced back to her.
“I’ll be gone three hours tops.” He stroked her hair back from her face. “Gavin comes back today. Once he takes over, we can figure this out.”
Figure out what? She understood his reservations. Knowing his background, his ambition and drive made sense. It meant he was Vinny on steroids. He would never stop, would never fill that well. If work made him happy, he attained a level of happiness and contentment very few people reached.
“Just give me some time,” he said.
Give him time to figure out how he felt about her? They already knew the answer. When he didn’t move, she nodded.
“Once I get back, I’ll take you to the doctor. I want to make sure you’re okay. There are guards outside. You’re safe here.”
He straightened and walked toward the door. He paused, looked back, and stared at her for a long minute. He opened his mouth, shook his head, and then disappeared.
She listened to him leave and stared straight ahead. Sunlight streamed through the windows. Her body felt as if it weighed one thousand pounds. She slid her legs over the side of the bed and sat there for a few minutes before she found the strength to move. She staggered to the window. There were two SUVs in the driveway full of Gavin’s guards. Fuck.
She hobbled to the garage and fetched her clutch from her car. The diamond necklace winked at her. She left it in the console and nabbed her phone, which beeped with messages she ignored. She stared at the damaged living room as she dialed and put the phone to her ear.
“Carmen?”
“Angel, I need a ride.”
